Dynamics of white and red blood cells in the ontogenesis of African catfish

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the study of age dynamics and sexual characteristics of blood cells. The object of the study was African catfish during puberty (six months, one year and two years old). At the first stage, the age dynamics of the red blood cells content was studied. The number of red blood cells in the blood of African catfish, depending on age, varied in the range from 0.85*1012 cells/l to 1.35*1012 cells/l. As puberty, the content of red blood cells increased. Erythropoiesis peaked and stabilized at the age of two years. The content of white blood cells of peripheral blood with age increasing twice, reaching a maximum in adulthood-1.14*109 cells/l in females and 1.01*109 cells/l in males. Analysis of the leukocyte formula of African catfish revealed age-dependent quantitative redistribution of cells. It was found in the course of studies, that with age, the proportion of white blood cells in the leukocyte formula of the African catfish increases. There is a general tendency to reduce the relative content of neutrophils. The dynamics of indicators is most clearly manifested in the critical periods of puberty of fish. Studies have shown that a pronounced predominance in the leukocyte formula of white blood cells (within the physiological norm), persists in all age periods and is characteristic of females and males. Age redistribution of leukocyte cells series: neutrophils, monocytes and polymorphonuclear cells in peripheral blood of African catfish demonstrates the development and formation of cellular and humoral links of the immune system in ontogenesis. In the implementation of this process, males and females clearly manifest sexual differences, which become more pronounced with the age of fish.